VOICE LESSONS AND TRAINING: TEACHING KIDS TO SING IN TUNE
I want to learn how to carry a tune.
Can a person be born with Perfect Pitch or tone deaf? Pitch Test
Learn why people of tonal language speaking cultures have perfect pitch and other cultures DON'T.
Is there software that will teach me how to sing in tune? Before you spend money learn the facts about PERFECT PITCH
Auditory Hearing Processing Disorder - Frontal Lobe
Dr. Tomatis Method http://www.tomatis.com/ - Tomatis Electronic Ear
is a tool for helping children overcome auditory processing difficulties.
http://www.tomatis.com/English/Articles/Biography.html
1997 Discussion
From: Ruth King Goddard MA Joy of
Music Co. Everett, WA II have been working over 20
years with adults who couldn't match pitches. I have been overwhelmed with the tonally
illiterate culture we have. Over the last six years, I've developed a curriculum for
children
in their language learning years (3-7) which equips them with basic tonal, written, timing skills
of
the musical language. The principles can apply to any age.
A major piece of the tonal-development aspect is activating a child's tonal portion
of
the brain. I begin with basic "what do you hear?" exercises. (ie, people talking, doors closing,
etc.) I use various "mystery" boxes and other items with different resonating sounds to help
discrimination skills grow.
We do a lot of echoes, not even singing at first, just vocalizing on silly nonsense sounds utilizing high
and low, slides, etc. I also help them understand the difference of high and low, using
various animal sounds. Most children who come from non-singing homes, have no idea that they have a voice
beyond their speaking voice ("chest register"), unless it is used for baby-
talk"head-register"). By using the aforementioned exercises, they find their
head
register, which I define as their singing voice. If they focus on developing this, the
rest
of their singing voice ("chest register") will come along.
This particular child may need to be helped to understand the difference between her shouting
voice and her singing voice. Initially I identify their 4
voices: talking, whisper, shouting and singing. By doing a simple song
in
EACH of these voices (use their "INSIDE shouting voice"!!) they begin to understand the
difference
sensations of using the singing voice. As they get confidence, its fun to change the four voices within a
song. Exciting!!!
From about 5 years old and through adults, the critical exercise is learning to "think"
a
tone before singing it. This was a natural piece in the language development years, but if a
child did not have the opportunity (or affirmation) to explore vocally in those years, this piece of their
brain may not be activated. It's really very simple, but takes constant reminders to create the
confidence of a habit.
Steps:
1. Hear sound
2.Think (remember) the sound
3. sing the sound.
I am working to get the curriculum published. It is presently being
used by teachers I contract with, providing music-nurturing in childcare and preschools. I am also
available
for workshops and teacher training.
If you'd like more info, please let me know. This is a passionate area for me.
"Tone-deafness" is a myth. Everyone can sing, if given the proper support. My own son who is now
15 was not consistent with his pitches until he was 12. He was too busy with other things (ADHD). I was
always careful not to shame him for his pitch problems, but instead, matched to his pitches so he could
experience intonation. It worked. He's been asked to be in a men's quartet, so even though he
didn't go by the accepted "schedule" of musical development, he is now a singer! If a child
gets the idea that they can't sing, then they won't. But that's another whole topic......
Carry a Tune software
From:
I
found Ruth King Goddard's story to be exciting and encouraging. Great ideas on how to teach people to
find and use their singing voices.
Question: do you use this technique in the music classroom (to avoid isolating people)? Do you have
special
classes for people who have come to you to learn how to sing? What are the various ways you have used
it?
Hear is what I've done; it helps most people:
I have found most children who sing off key also sing very loudly. It seems they
can't
hear, or aren't trained to hear, others people, or the piano, or some kind of pitch cue.
In my choirs and classrooms, I used humor to demonstrate (and discourage) what I called
"shout
singing". It always got a lot of laughs, and the kids got the point immediately.
I also encouraged them to listen to each other; if they could hear only other people and not themselves,
they could sing louder, and if they could only hear themselves and not other people, they needed to sing
more softly.
I had to repeat this more than once, but it was very helpful.
This technique helped "Lucy", a first grader, who sang most enthusiastically, following the
basic
shape of the melody, but always a 4th or 5th interval higher than everyone else! Over the course of two
years, encouraging her ("you have a very pretty voice; it's even prettier when you sing a bit
softer") her pitch gradually came down to the rest of the class. At the end of two years, she sang a
group solo at the spring concert (with the two strongest singers on either side of her) and did a great
job.
I agree that "tone deafness is a myth."
From:
Just adding my two cents worth in addition to the excellent information given by Ruth.
It is also important that you allow the child to sing without backing the voice with the piano or
any other instrument. The overtones of certain instruments, especially the piano,make it more difficult
for the child to "tune-in" to the pitch.
One thing that Ruth mentioned about
not
shaming a child or making a child feel self conscious about his/her voice is extremely important. I tell
the
children that their voices are as unique as a fingerprint. No one has a voice identical to theirs.
If they are having difficulty with certain ranges, then sometimes I tell them to sing more softly so that
they can hear those pitches being sung around them, (provided I have placed the struggling singer next to
strong singers) and that will help them blend their voices. Another thing that I found very interesting is
something that I learned from Sister Lorna Zemke. She said that there are parts of the ear that
are
not fully developed until around the age of 9. I'm not sure if it's the inner ear canal
or what. If someone knows about this, I'd be interested in having that info.
From Wampeter99
"Tone-deafness" is a myth. Everyone can sing, if given the proper support. I
completely agree!!
I start in first grade with solfege and the Kodaly hand
signs. We LISTEN to each pitch for about 30 seconds before attempting to sing it. Singing is
listening....you can't tell them this enough. The hand signs also help: when the students
do
the hand signs with me, they know when their hand goes up a step, their voice should follow. Visuals have
worked wonders for me. By third grade I can do any interval withing the octave (starting with DO) and the
can sing it a cappella. They can also find DO on their own most of the time without my
playing it first.
Music | Sing in Tune
2005 8 Years Later
Matching Pitch - Primary
Here are some things I do:
1) Some children get used to singing either higher or lower than everyone else - probably subconsciously
so
that they can hear themselves. When a child sings with the group, often the group sound is louder than
their voice. If they sing in unison, they can't hear themselves. Tell them this is probably what is
going on and that if they sing in unison, sometimes it feels like the sound is outside them rather than
coming from their mouths and this is when they are singing correctly. If they hear themselves well, itis
probably not the correct sound.
2) Do some echo singing regularly that you keep a rubric response form. I do a singing role call -
starting
with Sol-Mi after we have sung several Sol-Mi songs.
I use:
- 4 - echoes same tune same pitch
- 3 - echoes same tune different pitch
- 2 - echoes different tune (hardly ever happens)
- 1 - speaks the response
- 0 - no response
If I give a 3 - I indicate beside the number with an up or down arrow indicating which direction they were off.
Sometimes I put a + beside a 4 for an exceptionally pure sounding voice (use them for models).
If someone is consistently lower, I try them with a lower pitch than the rest of the class to see if they
will echo there.
3) If a student is consistently lower, I have them sing and oo and slide up to the pitch (or vice versa - encourage relaxation if they sing too high). If successful, I have them show with their hand in front of them where they feel like the sound is, then try to start on that pitch rather than sliding up/down to get there.
4) If successful making the pitch but still not in unison with others, I have them start a pitch (on oo)
and
then I match them them. Sometimes as I join, they will slide from their pitch in the direction of their
habitual error. Tell them to stay and not slide and then do it again. When you get a unison - tell them
that is it correct (That's it!) and ask if it feels like the sound is outside them. See if they feel
the beats in the air if the pitch is close but slightly off. Tell them that the slower the beats are, the
better. Eventually a sense of unison develops.
5) If a student has trouble finding their singing voice, do sirens with the class and then give the child
a
homework assignment to do sirens at home by themselves, seeing how high and how low they can go. Children
need to hear themselves singing by themselves in order for the brain to process correctly and learn how to
control the muscles in order to make a desired pitch. Often a child comes back the next week after a
"homework" assignment singing in tune with the rest of the class.
Usually if the ear hears the voice making different sounds in the singing range, the brain will figure out
which nerves to trigger to make those sounds again - just like a baby learning to go from random
involuntary
motions to muscle control.
I tell my students that every child has a beautiful singing voice, but some haven't learned how to use
it. It is like buried treasure in their back yard. If no one helps them by giving them a map or helping
them dig, they won't get the treasure. If they will allow me help them (by cooperating with my
requests), they will find the treasure and have it to use to make beautiful music the rest of their
lives.
Can't tell your gender from your name. If male, learn to use falsetto (your boy's voice) when
demonstrating for younger children.
Matching Pitch - Primary
Have you tried talking to them about their "singing voices" as opposed to their "speaking
voices"?
Sometimes just suggesting that they use their "singing voices" does the trick.
One Two Three Echo Me has some games/exercises that address that problem. Sometimes having them echo in a
higher pitch helps, although I've found some older children that echo better in a lower pitch.
I've heard of teachers that sing to them (very softly) through a tube set on their ear.
I like to demonstrate pitch matching with two puppets. I purposely sing too high, then too low, then just
right. I have the students tell me which is which.
I do these things mainly with K-3. I begin every class with echo clapping and echo vocalization. The
vocalization consists of sirens up and down, animal sounds, little dog yap, big dog woof, birds: polly
wants
a cracker (high voice), owl (whoo-whoo high) Minnie Mouse in high voice: "Hello Mickey", Mickey
Mouse in slightly lower voice: "Hello Minnie", just anything to get them to use the full range
of
their voices in a fun way.
I also use S-M "yoo-hoo" for a million things from just echoing (I do it mid-range, but also
really high and really low) to singing it mid-range as I add movements such as head to shoulders, wiggle
fingers, pull my ears. I found out by accident that when they think it's a silly game, those who tend
to be non-singers, sing their hearts out when they think the point is to wiggle their fingers or nod their
head or whatever movement I'm doing at the same time.
I almost never talk about their singing voice. We just play lots of games.
Another "yoo hoo" use. I sing a food and if they like that food I tell the class in general to
"yoo hoo". I tell them that if they don't like that food DON'T yoo hoo and that
I'll
watch and see what foods they like and what foods they don't like and that when they come over to my
house to eat sometime, I'll know just what to have for them. :) They think that's so great.
Sometimes I'll just use a particular food such as food at McDonald's so I'll sing:
(McNuggets S-S-M) they go YooHoo (S-M) if they like it, nothing if they don't. (Chocolate milkshake
S-S-S-M) etc. Sometimes after a particularly enthusiastic response I'll say, "Oh, that's
definitely on my menu for when you come to my house".
My answer is quite lengthy, but in classroom use, I'd use one or two of these ideas at the start of
class for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes tops.I have tons of other little vocal games and exercises too,
but
those are just a few of my favorites.
Tone Deaf Annals of Neurology researchers led by Isabelle Peretz of
the University of Montreal said Tone-deafness, formally known as amusia, may occur in as
much of 4 percent of the population. A person can be born tone deaf or develop the
problem
as a result of injury or illness. They could instantly detect an abnormal response when a
tone-deaf person heard a note using an EEG to measure brain activity. The problem is on
the
right side of the brain. Amusia is related to speech and reading disorders like dyslexia and dysphasia.
All languages use intonation to express emphasis, emotion, or other such
nuances, but not every language uses tone to distinguish meaning outright. When
this occurs, tones are equally important and essential as phonemes (discrete sounds, for example, /t/, or
/d/), and they are referred to as tonemes. Languages that make use of tonemes are called
tonal languages. The majority of languages in the world are tonal
languages.